Just curious from someone who owns a EX1 ... is the rendering/compression time with the HQ 35mbs footage faster than HDV content? I have a Mac Pro, tons of memory and fastest processor and graphics card available but I have noticed that HDV footage takes at least 2-3 times more time to render or export or compress than say SD footage or even HD footage from the P2.

In FCP set your sequence to render in Apple Pro Res and it's very fast. You don't need to do a convert at all. It'll do all renders in Pro Res though so there's no GOP re-conform. You can do that with HDV too. In fact this feature ONLY works with HDV and XDCAM and was recently added with FCP 6.

Yes this does speed things up about 35% for HDV, XDCAM-HD and XDCAM-EX. However need to also point out that there is downside. File sizes become about 4.5 times bigger and they require more data throughput from your hard drive(s). An important consideration if you working on a laptop with smaller and possibly slower hard drive(s). On a MacPro, likely no problem, as you will have it equipped accordingly.

GOP structure actually places more demands on the CPU then I frame files that are larger. It's the same reason DVCPro HD at 100mbps can be less demanding than GOP 35mbps. True the file size is larger with ProRes but the CPU demand is less since I Frame is easier for CPU to handle. Making the renders Pro Res is a good compromise over having to convert the entire file to ProRes (or other I frame format) or dealing with GOP conform on every effect and title.

MacBookPro should be able to handle this too as long as one obeys the rule, NEVER use your system drive (boot drive holding OS and FCP) for media files.

On a related note. I had been having severe crashing problems on rendering with my MacPro. I kept trying to trouble shoot the problem to no avail.

I finally changed the sequence render settings back to HDV from ProRes and the crashing went away. From the crash log that I had it looked like the crash was happening on trying to render the ProRes codec.

I still think that you should try to use this workflow if possible, but keep this in mind if you start having crashes. Never know it may just be my machine!!!

On a related note. I had been having severe crashing problems on rendering with my MacPro. I kept trying to trouble shoot the problem to no avail.

I finally changed the sequence render settings back to HDV from ProRes and the crashing went away. From the crash log that I had it looked like the crash was happening on trying to render the ProRes codec.

Daniel, exactly the same thing is happening to me on my new Mac Pro - crashing mid render (sometimes after a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes). Also, parts of the timeline I have already rendered become unrendered while working on new parts of the timeline (or while trying to render a different section). It appears to happen on an arbitrary basis, and driving me insane.

Curiously, I never had this problem on my old computer, an 24" Imac with 1/4 the ram and much less processing power. It could do the HDV render in ProRes trick no problem.

If anyone knows how to fix this I'd be incredibly thankful as I'm back to working / rendering exclusively in HDV.

On a related note. I had been having severe crashing problems on rendering with my MacPro. I kept trying to trouble shoot the problem to no avail.

I finally changed the sequence render settings back to HDV from ProRes and the crashing went away. From the crash log that I had it looked like the crash was happening on trying to render the ProRes codec.

I still think that you should try to use this workflow if possible, but keep this in mind if you start having crashes. Never know it may just be my machine!!!

Daniel Weber

Mine crashed a fair bit too. However, what i've noticed is, mine was likely due to this plugin called Noise Industries. I had another installation (with GenArts Sapphire only) on the same machine on a separate OS that didn't have this problem (not as severe). So for that, RAM and scratch disks were not the issue. Usually, these are the factors that are the problems for crashes in FCP (so I have been told)..

A quick help mechanism i have for my FCP is to set the autosave at 1 min and 10-20 saves. It helps. At least u only lose one min of render. Another option is to render portions of the sequence at a time.